For me, procrastination is not just a bad habit, it's a bad lifestyle.
It's a dark pit I fell into during my early childhood and never really crawled out of because I could just do it tomorrow, right?
When I was high school, procrastination made me turn in an innumerable amount of last-minute essays and project. I still got good grades on them though, so that must have meant that all that frenzied work was actually great for school.
Then I hit college, where I suddenly lost the ability to pull all-nighters and get up early to finish my homework. I actually had to be responsible and manage my time well like a functioning adult if I ever wanted to move forward in life.
While it has been--and continues to be--a slow but steady journey, I've found three tools that help me stay on top of my busy schedule and actually get work done.
1. My Study Life
The ultimate planner designed specifically for students and teachers alike, I discovered MyStudyLife halfway through freshman year and haven't looked back since then. While it does take some time at first to input all the necessary details like your schedule and homework assignments, it pays off to do it all during syllabus week.
My Study Life reminds you when your classes start, which tasks are due within the next three days, and is a cross-platform app for both your computer and your phone.
This has been an academic lifesaver for me since I used to either rely on my memory or scattered reminders written in different notebooks or on my hand to remember my homework. My Study Life neatly puts everything into one place and motivates me to get tasks done ahead of time.
2. My iPhone's default calendar
While the calendar app is pretty standard and somewhat simplistic, it's an effective way for me to keep track of events that are outside my school schedule, whether it's weekly meetings, dental appointments or someone's birthday.
I always make sure to input events right when I hear of them and set two alerts: one for the day before and one for the hour before.
The simpler, the better. And it hasn't failed me yet.
3. My bullet journal
For those who don't know, the bullet journal is an organizational system based on bullet points. While it's made up of core concepts like an index, logs, and simple symbols, it's basically meant to combine a diary, planner, and a to-do list into one journal and is highly customizable.
I started my own bullet journal over the summer to see if I would be able to use it when school began, and I ended up loving it.
It's a process that requires trial and error because my bullet journal is meant to work for me and me alone. While other people might like putting an insane amount of detail into their bullet journals (just look them up on Pinterest or Instagram), mine actually looks a lot like the picture above, except with slightly more cursive and alternating colors for each month.
I've personally found that it's best if I take things one day at a time. While My Study Life and my calendar makes sure that I don't forget what's in the future, my bullet journal keeps me grounded in my day-to-day tasks. The combination of all three tools means that my mind is less stressed out without the burden of having to remember everything that I need to do and defaulting to wanting to put them off.
These are just suggestions, so what works for me might not work for you.
Do you use anything different that helps you stay organized and ready for school?
